Too Late To Fight
by Lavenderpaw
Summary: In one day,reality can turn upside down.A life can change forever.For Jake,this is what has happened and yet he has a new foe to face.Now,only one other person can save him from himself and this person just happens to be the one to see nearly all of it.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**This has no relationship to my other fics.

_Your subtleties  
They strangle me  
I can't explain myself at all.  
And all the wants  
And all the needs  
All I don't want to need at all. _

The walls start breathing  
My mind's unweaving  
Maybe it's best you leave me alone.  
A weight is lifted  
On this evening  
I give the final blow.

When darkness turns to light,  
It ends tonight  
It ends tonight.

A falling star  
Least I fall alone.  
I can't explain what you can't explain.  
You're finding things that you didn't know  
I look at you with such disdain

The walls start breathing  
My mind's unweaving  
Maybe it's best you leave me alone.  
A weight is lifted  
On this evening  
I give the final blow.

When darkness turns to light  
It ends tonight,  
It ends tonight.  
Just a little insight won't make this right  
It's too late to fight  
It ends tonight,  
It ends tonight.

Now I'm on my own side  
It's better than being on your side  
It's my fault when your blind  
It's better that I see it through your eyes

All these thoughts locked inside  
Now you're the first to know

When darkness turns to light  
It ends tonight,  
It ends tonight.  
Just a little insight won't make this right  
It's too late to fight  
It ends tonight,

The sounds of sirens wailing in the far back distance were the only sounds Jake registered as he continued on down the side walk in the early twilight of night.He had no conception of the time or place he was,he just knew he needed to walk away as far as he could.He didn't try to run or his legs would give out and he'd become sick but he wanted to and yet he could go move no faster.

Suddenly,a stream of yellow light engulfed him temporarily and jolted him.Realising it was only a very natural occurence of the street lights,he proceeded forward.But what was natural anymore?A dragon?That wasn't natural to most people but there were far more unnatural things in the world.Things so completely unnatural,it was a complete sin to even think of commiting them.Alas,someone had.

"_Ow_!"Jake murmured gruffly,putting a hand to his forehead after he had accidently walked right into a stop sign._What kind of idiot_...?his eyes averted across the street to the subway sign and nearly collasped in relief to see something he could use so he would no longer have to hoove it out around New York at night when he heard whispering._Oh lord,no_._No,no,no!Not now,not here_._No way_.

The same familiar fleeting insticnt filled him and Jake took off running across the road,ignoring a few impaitent honking drivers who blared their horns at him repeatedly.Once Jake had crossed the paved strip of chaos,he continued at breakneck speed down a few more blocks.

Someone was behind him and he would have attacked,would have stopped acting so cowardly if it hadn't been for what his eyes had appraised about thirty minutes ago.But he managed to hold it all back as after a five minute chase the person gave up and he staggered to a panting halt on a road curb.

_Gramps_..._Fu_...His mind automatically rendered their names in his train of thoughts,as he sat down and put his hands inclosing the sides of his face,propping his elbows on his knees._But what if they-_

Jake felt the same trembling numbness creep back up into his chest,he reached down and ran his hand along the deserted street,feeling it's bumpy contours.All around him,the city was now covered with the occult of nighttime and lit windows aligned one another heavenward.He wanted to use his eye specialities to help him see better but what if his enemies picked up on it?What if Rose did?

Rose.Even her name made him have mixed feelings,he loved her still and yet he wanted to clasp his hands around her throat.He wanted to do it to the entire clan in fact and throttle them until he could no longer feel them.An inner,rather frightening sense of pleasure at the thought made him slap himself across the face once and stand.She had nothing to do with it,had she?The two had locked eyes and he hadn't been able to tell._Screw it,screw it all!Whatever,let'em find me_._I really don't care anymore_.

Without even a slight thought of reconsideration,Jake let the sapphire lights he was now after a year and a half accustomed to wrap him in their splendid arms and relied on them to shield him just for a moment.Feeling the bare air against his scales as he flapped,a sense of freedom even despite the fact that he was risking alot settled in him and he arched his wings up high and began to ascend rapidly.

It hadn't been long before he felt a soft pattering on him,at first Jake didn't know what to make of the new situtation but finally the downpour of a heavy shower proved to be almost too much for him in his current state.Stubbornly,the American Dragon kept at his same pace,his large red wings moving up and down with stiff flaps.The pelting of the rain felt like hundreds of hammers on his back,though tiny and harmless he was far too flustered and worked up to maintain flight.He couldn't even think straight.

_Gotta_...He thought dazedly,objects in front of him starting to blur._Gotta get out of this_...

Feeling tired and disoriented,Jake landed on the top of a building that seemed very familiar to him somehow.Soaked to the marrow and not having a clue about what he was doing,the dragon stumbled over towards a partially open storage room and opening it somewhat,he nearly collasped on the floor.

Giving it a few minutes,he gradually got his focus and mind back into place.A little warbly,Jake got to his feet and dropping to all fours,shook his water drenched mane as he shifted back to normal._I need to get help_.he thought urgently,starting to think clearly for the first time but when he opened the door and saw the whipping rain's fury he grimanced and shut the door._Maybe a little later after rest_...

_A few hours passed_...

After feeling more well rested and with relief of being emotionally drained,Jake stepped outside into the quiet and cool night.The aftermath of the storm still lingered scent-wise in the air and was refreshing to him after the horrible night he had had thus far.

But this wasn't the time to feel anything,it was the time to get help and that's just what he was going to do.In fact,Jake was the help.A rush to go aid his grandfather emerged to the surface as he took flight and he would have to,had he not turned in mid-air and seen the building he had been on.

Everything collasped right there for him,his familiar headstrong determination had died.It had been just an ember barely flickering and now was trampled on.For what Jake saw beneath him as he was in the air,was the dreaded former Huntslair.Terror,utter terror set into him and he swerved from having it at his line of vision.He could make out the tree tops of Central Park by enhancing his eye sight and quickly zipped away towards it;trying so hard to escape the fateful path he roamed.

His eyes kept fogging up and the only way he knew he had reached the park was by the peaks of the tall firs brushing against his scaled stomach.Breathing hard,Jake coasted down to a bench and changing back to normal,drapped himself down onto it's wooden paneling and embraced it to him.It creaked a little bit but he needed something to grab onto otherwise he knew he would lose it and go on a rampage._That isn't me,I'm the destructive type_._Not like other people_...

"Jake."A very quiet,quaking voice reached his ears.

Hearing his name said by the one person he was trying to forget brought back the memories and feelings he had shoved to the far reaches of his soul.In his morbid retropection,he was entering his home after a mission that had taken a little longer then expected.Jake was in high spirits and couldn't even remember why he was but upon seeing the front door hanging by it's top hinge,he knew something had happened.But before he entered and saw his family,he had strange heard voices.

"_So it is done,_"_A young man's voice sounded well appeased_."_The whole family that is_."

_There was a chilling pause,before the Huntsman's voice picked up with finalty ringing in it_."_Indeed,if this does not cast aside the American Dragon for the time being I do not know what will_._As soon as I discover the location of the other three skulls,it will be all I need_."

"_Um_..._You do mean 'we',don't you sir?_"_The man inquired unsurely_.

_The first thing Jake's eyes appraised through the door was the horror stricken look that was across Rose's face and the moment his ebony eyes had diverted to the floor,he didn't need anymore further implication_..._the pools of deep scarlet were all he needed to see_.

Presently,Jake pushed himself off and shoving his hands into his jacket,stalked away resolutely in the opposite direction.But only at a fast walk,he blindedly made his way down the sidewalk before the slippery feel of wet grass met his feet.Jake heard Rose hurrying after him and he in turn only quickened his pace.He didn't want to talk to her,he was unpredictable and she was a prime suspect but the look on her face somehow proved otherwise.Still,he refused to stop for her.It was utterly impossible.

"Jake!"Rose called out in a voice shooken with ardorous worry."Jake...please,we need to talk!"

Just the thought of it embittered him and he ran faster into what he guessed was the woods but instead he felt himself starting to slant and loosing his footing,toppled down a small ravine and landed face first in a pile of mud.The disoriented feeling returned to him and yet Jake felt all of his seemingly incomprehensible emotions fade.He sensed Rose come up from behind him and taking him under the arm to help him up but about mid-way slipped and landed on herside in it herself with a small splatter.

Realisation of their dilemna flooded him and helping himself up the rest of the way,extended his hand to her."Here,take my hand Rose."he offered calmly and when she took it,the two of them only managed to slip again and flop over one another in their now hectic attempts to get to their feet.

"Jake,get your foot out of my face!"She laughed inspite of herself,falling all over him.

"I can't until you get up off of me first!"He cried back,fratically trying to work his way out from under her."You've got to..."he started,straining to squirm out from underneath her."...got to..."

"Get up?"Rose inserted in minor fustration."Goodness,Jake.I'm trying but it's too muddy."

"No offense but for a girl you weigh a ton,"Jake said snickeringly,crawling out from beneath her when she had managed to at least get off of him."Seriously,no offense!Because I've seen you work out."

By the time both had managed to find solid terrain again,the hystericalness of their antics had died out of their systems.Although Jake didn't dare use his dragon vision to look at the mud caked girl before him in fear of losing it to laugther again,which had felt great.He hadn't laughed like that it seemed for so long.

Without a word,both fell into step beside one another and started down a new rocky trail leading down into the woods,the moon over head was full and magnificent but neither one commented on how beautiful it appeared.Jake eventually felt the thick trees clear away a little as they walked slowly.

"Where will you go?"Rose asked after what felt like an eternity,her voice normal and practical.

"Maybe Gramps,"Jake actually found himself awnsering,almost casually."Unless,of course..."

"I asked the Huntsman."she finished for him reassuringly."He said he wouldn't bother with it,that when the time came he wanted all magical creatures to be destroyed together and it'd be a waste of time."

"Oh."_How I'd love to waste that Huntscreep into oblivion_.

From the way they had shared in side splitting laugther,to them talking about where Jake would live from now on seemed unreal to him.They said nothing more for awhile and until they reached a clearing,he had almost forgotten she was near him but he inconsequently turned to look at her.

Jake couldn't make out her clothing but the moon sent a shade of glowing ivory on half of her cordate face,the clouds had parted and she appeared dejected.Still,she was beautiful.Wasn't there suppose to be more?He hadn't seen her clearly prior to now but he expected to see more,even willed to see more to her but there was not.Jake clenched his fists and bent forward.There ought to of been more...

"Jake?"Rose inquired softly,trying to place her ams around him until he shoved her back abruptly.

"WHY?"He shouted at her furiously,once she was wide-eyed and stockstill."WHY DID YOU NOT STOP HIM?FOR LANDS SAKES,YOU HAD THE CHANCE!WHY DIDN'T YOU?"

His breathing was so ragged and erratic;he was so cold and torn apart inside that he didn't even wait for a reply but stormed away past her.Jake felt a perforating in his heart and reached up to feel where it was,but instead of feeling anything unusual,all he felt was his heart thumping it's regular,unaltered pace.

But that wasn't good enough,it had to beat faster.He had to prove to himself he was still alive and maybe not only that,maybe he had to prove he was alive enough for the rest of his family.His family was still alive,they had to be.He was having a nightmare.Yes,that was it and all he had to do was awaken.

A reckless surge entered Jake and he took off running again,though his entire body ached greatly of weariness,he didn't stop until he felt the park's brick wall seperating him the rest of the city meet slap against his hands roughly.It felt almost like the road,a good and strong texture.Almost like he was.He was good and strong.He was a protecter,a friend,a hero.Things like this didn't happen to heros.

Though he couldn't stand without the support of the sturdy gate,Jake placed his hand back up to his chest and was greeted by the wild feel of his racing heart.Sure enough though,his all of the sorrow,anger and everything else in between was coming back.Not walking,not flying,not rain,not laughing,not running,not his racing heart,not even Rose was going to bring them back.Jake had to accept that now.

"I came down after it was already done Jake,"Rose's tired and patient voice spoke from behind him."I didn't know it was your home,I didn't even know it was the mission until I saw all of your family for the first time..."her voice lowered as she went on."Jake,listen,I know that it's not going to make the slightest difference to you but...I-I found out my parents are alive and I've got a twin.If I find them,I want us to-"

"Rose,"Jake whispered in a heavy,breaking voice."Leave me alone and go to my grandfather's shop.Tell him what's happened..."a few quiet sobs escaped his lips."Hurry,before it's too late."

Though his body started to shake uncontrollably,though he felt himself slipping away,Jake felt her arms around him.Rose was there,steadying him.But this wasn't right,shouldn't he be doing this for her?Shouldn't she be the one who wasn't able to contain the tears and the tremoring.As if on cue,his eyes burned and Jake realised that it had been tears misting them all this time.

"There's no such thing as too late,"Her voice was firm,definite."There wasn't when we found out about each other,there wasn't one back at the academy and there isn't one now,Jake.You have to believe me."

But Jake had lost track of her talking right after her first statement,he had fallen into a deep and dreamless sleep.If one might have ventured passed,they wouldn't have spotted them with much ease.There was like a veil,a veil of divine intervention surrounding them and keeping them from everyone's eyes,the watchful or the wandering,the innocent or the twisted.Perhaps the sight of a dragon leaning on the shoulder of a dragon slayer was too precious or too dangerous a sight for any one person.

The End.

LP


	2. In memory

This story was in memory of my cousin and grandfather who died back in 2006 and also because of the fact that I wondered how someone would react if they suddenly just lost their family.But even more so,an intended loss by someone else.Anyways,hope it's well recieved.

LP


End file.
